John Hancq

Warwick Business School

“Former Hostage Negotiator turned Social Entrepreneur, with a passion for the world and its cultures.”

Hometown: Centreville, VA, USA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once solo climbed a 14,000-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains in the dead of winter.

Undergraduate School and Major:

Warwick Business School

Master of Business Administration

George Mason University

Global Affairs – International Development

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Founder, Karibu Honey Economic Development Initiative

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I consider my biggest career accomplishment to simply be the decision to transition from law enforcement. I loved what I did and it began to define me. Leaving was one of the scariest decisions I ever made, but I’m proud of where I am and where I’m going.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Supportive – The MBA journey was always going to be difficult. What struck me about my MBA classmates was how supportive and helpful they were. Everyone is constantly engaging and helpful to one another. Within the first few days, it was like we had all been friends for years. It made the challenges ahead feel more surmountable.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Globally in Touch – The world is becoming more globalized every day and Warwick Business School is a truly global school. Warwick is ahead of the times, with over 90% of students being international and a constantly evolving global curriculum. A global student body was extremely important to me to reflect on the realities of the business world. So much of an MBA education is learning from your peers and I knew such a diverse cohort would enrich that. In addition, the Warwick curriculum includes an overseas study trip, with the option to have additional modules in partner schools around the world. They’re also a PIM exchange program member, offering further opportunities to study abroad.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process?

“How will you be successful during your MBA program while continuing to run your Social Enterprise?”

This question took me a little off guard even though I knew it was coming. I was warned the MBA program was busy enough without the addition of running a business. I answered the question the best I could at the time but ultimately decided to take a backseat role in my enterprise – which has proven to be the right decision for everyone.

How did you determine which business schools best fit you? I knew early on that I wanted to attend a school in the UK for cost-effectiveness, program length and global culture.

For financial reasons, a one-year program in the UK produced the best return on my investment. UK schools are far cheaper than schools in the US, and one-year programs are more commonplace.  Another crucial factor for me was reputation and rankings. In the end, an MBA is often only as good as the school that issues it. The University of Warwick had been making huge strides in global rankings and was continuing to rise.

Having only been to the UK once, most of my research had to be conducted online or over the phone. I utilized ranking websites like Poets&Quants, and Financial Times. In addition, I got in contact with some school alumni to get a better understanding of the culture. By the end of the process, through all the webinars, phone calls and research, I had made my choice.